Ideanomics (NASDAQ: IDEX) CEO Alf Poor joined Steve Darling from Proactive with the news the company has finally opened the largest auto trading market in Qingdao at MEG's Qingdao EV hub.Poor discusses why they decided to build this superstore and also why this location is perfect to service other Electric Vehicle markets as well.

Musk has threatened to shift production of Teslas from California to Texas, because , well, Texas doesn't have sever lockdowns. Methinks its just a ploy , as the lockdown will probably be over by the time they even lay the foundations for the new factory.But on another front, Volkswagen has popped up as real threat to Musk.from Zero HedgeOne could argue there's significant overlap to the types of car buyers that would consider both Tesla and Volkswagen brands. Both brands offer unique engineering and sleek designs. But up until now, only Tesla was

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offering an EV.

Enter the Volkswagen ID3, which, with a price point of $33,000 possibly represents the biggest challenge to Tesla's dominant EV status yet. The vehicle goes on sale in Europe and the UK this summer, despite the coronavirus and offers the same amount of range and storage space as a Tesla Model 3.

The ID3 is going to offer three different battery choices and two power outputs. It has a claimed range of 260 miles.

Volkswagen has been taking pre-orders for the car and more than 35,000 people have placed deposits so far, according to Autocar. Those who placed deposits will be able to buy their cars starting June 17 in Europe. The UK will follow in mid-July due to the time it takes to get approval for right hand drive models.

Volkswagen sales boss JÃ¼rgen Stackmann says deliveries are on track and that the ID3 is the company's sole focus right now: â€œThe focus of the company now is on ID 3. Weâ€™re almost ready, and we just need a few more weeks to get the software to where we need it to be. The entire team are working on this topic, and we want to deliver a great quality product on time â€“ and that time is this summer.â€

Volkswagen is aiming to build 100,000 ID3s this year and prices in the will start from around Â£27,500 before the government grant for the entry-level 45kWh version.

The storage capabilities of the ID3 make it a formidable competitor to the Model Y. The ID3 also features two digital dashboard displays and, as Business Insider says "...seems to offer a bit more familiarity" than the Tesla Model 3.It also offers adaptive cruise control and lane assist, similar to Tesla's autopilot. And again, the price point could be the car's best selling point. Its $33,000 (USD) tag compares to about $48,000 for the Model 3 and $52,990 for the Model Y.

It was only matter of time before one of the existing car makers came up with something that will really challenge Tesla.They have existing dealer networks, spare parts distribution systems, and brands that are highlyt recognisable.Will be interesting.Mick

Thanks good info on the charging of batteries ...... With charging stations in China Ideanomics ( Nasdaq: IDEX) is partnered with CATL & Petro China ....

Ideanomics approach ....

" energy sales pilot will focus on the convergence of payment systems, charging stations, and energy supply chains. The pilot will demonstrate a payment solution which will integrate gas, LNG, and electricity sales into a single secure platform payment interface with China Union Pay, and is designed to meet today's and tomorrow's energy needs. This new solution will deliver advanced payment features such as facial recognition and other contactless payment technologies. The platform is expected to launch by July 1.

Additionally, the pilot will demonstrate supercharging stations, provided by CATL into PetroChina gas stations in Nanjing, as previously announced.. MEG and PetroChina have explored various charging technologies and, along with CATL, expect to begin converting gas pumps to EV superchargers as soon as Q4 of this year."

A new paper shows that a selling feature of electric cars, fast-charging stations along highways, actually subject batteries to high temperatures and high resistance that can cause them to crack, leak, and lose their storage capacity.

What is needed is a method for charging at lower temperatures and therefore less risk of catastrophic damage and loss of storage capacity. A recent experiment did just that. Scientists charged one set of discharged Panasonic NCR 18650B cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, found in Tesla cars, using the same industry fast-charging method as fast chargers found along freeways. They also charged a set using a new fast-charging algorithm based on the battery's internal resistance, which interferes with the flow of electrons.

The internal resistance of a battery fluctuates according to temperature, charge state, battery age, and more. High internal resistance can cause problems during charging and the UC Riverside Battery Team charging method is an adaptive system that learns from the battery by checking the battery's internal resistance during charging. It rests when internal resistance kicks in to eliminate loss of charge capacity. For the first 13 charging cycles, the battery storage capacities for both charging techniques remained similar. After that, the industry fast-charging technique caused capacity to fade much faster; after 40 charging cycles the batteries kept only 60% of their storage capacity. Batteries charged using the internal resistance charging method retained more than 80% capacity after the 40th cycle.

At 80% capacity, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have reached the end of their use life for most purposes. Batteries charged using the industry fast-charging method reached this point after 25 charging cycles, while internal resistance method batteries were good for 36 cycles.

Worse, after 60 charging cycles, the industry method battery cases cracked, exposing the electrodes and electrolyte to air and increasing the risk of fire or explosion. High temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius/140 degrees Fahrenheit accelerated both the damage and risk.

"Capacity loss, internal chemical and mechanical damage, and the high heat for each battery are major safety concerns, especially considering there are 7,104 lithium-ion batteries in a Tesla Model S and 4,416 in a Tesla Model 3," said Professor Mihri Ozkan of UC Riverside.

The internal resistance method creates its own problems. The charging system stops when the internal resistance gets too high. So, how long does it extend the "fast charge". If the internal resistance goes up due to temperature, how long does it take for the temp to go down?

Elon Musk has never lacked ego, but the Almed County Shefrriff has put him in his place.Cal declared a state of emergency and stated that only essential business were to stay open, and that evrything else was in lockdown.Tesla put out the following

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National Critical Infrastructure are business sectors crucial to the economic prosperity and continuity of the United States, and includes auto manufacturing and energy infrastructure as defined by the Department of Homeland Security. People need access to transportation and energy, and we are essential to providing it. We have also been in close communication with the State of California, Alameda County, and the City of Fremont, regarding the federal governmentÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s guidance.Ã¢â‚¬Â

As a result, Tesla and our supplier network will continue operations that directly support factory production, vehicle deliveries, and service. If you work in these areas, you should continue to report to work, and if you donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t you should work from home until further notice.

Unfortunately for Elon and his employees, the county sherriff had other ideas, From

Tesla may have more pressing problems than a ramped startup.From Zerhedge

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If Tesla was truly a story about actual economics - you know, things like demand and production - we might expect the fact that registrations are plunging to have an effect on the company's stock price.

But, as it goes, the company's stock is and has been wholly disconnected from reality, which is why at the stock sits currently with a $700 handle, we're certain it won't be phased by the fact that registrations have plunged in top European markets.

For instance, Tesla recorded only 83 new cars in Norway last month, comparing to 1,016 vehicles last year. In the Netherlands, registrations also plunged, down 68% to 155 units, according to Bloomberg.

It is not a good look for Tesla, as these are two of the only four countries that Tesla breaks out revenue for on a quarterly basis. For the first two months of the year (and first 66% of the first quarter), registrations were down 77% and 42% in Norway and the Netherlands - and that was against easy comps. The Model 3 was only just starting to get underway with sales in early 2019.

But the falling sales in Europe will make it tough to cushion any blow not only in the U.S., but in China, where coronavirus has ravaged the country and auto sales, in general, are down between 80% and 90% for February. This hasn't stopped Tesla's stock from holding a bid in the $600 to $700 range, even despite the market's recent sell off on coronavirus fears.